Clothes-pounder.



E. R. GROOKER.

CLOTHES POUNDER.-

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1912. v 1,039,701. Patented 001;.1, 1912.

W a m/W E. R. GROOKER- Y CLOTHES POUNDER APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1912.

1,039,701 Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2 1 71666 ens-3 Z 62194226;-

E. R. OROOKER.

CLOTHES POUNDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1912.

1,039,701. ,Patented 0ct.1,1912.-

3 SHEETS-$HEET 3.

EDWIN R. CBOO KEK: 01 LOS ANGELES, .GALIFQ'BNIA.

CLOTHES-POUNDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application fled June 1,1912. Serial in. 101,095.

To all whom it may comm: Be it known that I, EDWIN R. Caoolma, a citizenof the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of LosAngeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefulClothes-Founder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes-pounders of the manuallyoperated type, and one of the main objects of my invention is to'improve the construction of clothes-pounders by making the same ofsimple and economical construction.

Another object of my invention is to construct a clothes-pounder of thecharacter described with a simple form of soap receptacle so arranged asnot to obstruct the interior of the clothes-pounder, thereby producing aclothes-pounder of maximum ca- 29 pacity for lifting water therein.

Another object of my invention is to construct a clothes-pounder of thecharacter described with a soap receptacle so arranged that theclothes-pounders may be nested for the purpose of shipping'the samethereby reducing the bulk of the package containing the pounders. I

Another object of my invention is to produce a clothes-pounder ofthe-character de- 39 scribed with a soap receptacle so arranged that thesoap therein maybe mixed with the water at the will of the operator.

Another object of my invention is to produce a clothes-pqunderin whichthe handle socket is so constructed that'the handle may be readilyremoved therefrom when so desired. v Referring to the drawings, whichare for l illustrative purposes only: Fi ure 1 is a vertical, sectionalview of a c othes-pounder embodying the preferred form of my invention'g. 2 is an inverted plan view thereof. Ei 3 is a vertical, sectionalview of a modifled form of my invention. F' 4 is an inverted plan viewof the forms own in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a pers ectivev'iew of the cap ofthe soap receptac e shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical,sectional view of another modified; form of my invention.

Fig. 7 is an inverted pl nview of-the form shown in Fig. 6. Fig.% is aside elevation of the soap receptacle used. in the form ofclothes-pounder shown in Figs 6 and 7 The clothes-pounder shown in'Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an' approximately conical body 1 equipped on itsinterior face with a plurality of vertically disposed air chambers 2 IPatentedOctJ. 1912.

formed by semi-conical sheet metal members 3 secured at the side edgesthereof to the inner face of the conical body 1, which members 3 extenddownwardly from. the u per portion of the body 1 and terminate ort ofthe lower edge of the same, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

.The clothes-pounder is provided with a handle socket 4 consisting of ashort tube 5 which extends through the top or 9. ex 6 of the conicalbody 1, the lower ed 6 of the tube 5 being flared outwardly an extendinginto engagement with the inner wall of the conical body 1, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1. The tube 5 is tapered, as indicated, the largestdiameter of the tube being at the u per end thereof, so that theoperating han e 8 may be readily inserted in the socket 4. Theconstructionof the socket 5, described above as being of larger diameterat the top,

permits. the handle 8 to be readily removed' therefrom after the handle8 has become wet and swollen through the frequent immersions of the samein the water during thewashing operation.

Theso-tp by a portion of the walls of the conical .body 1 and a cap 11.The cap 11 is provided with a rounded body portion 12 terminating inacircular flange 13, which. circular flange is adapted to extend intoand engage a circular groove or seat 14 formed in the walls of the body1 by pressing the same outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The engagement of the circular flange 13' of the cap 11 and the circularseat 14 of the body 1 is such that thecap 11 will readily hold a cakeof' soap thereon, in-.

receptacle 10 is formed partly dicated at 15, during the operation ofwashing the clothes. The cap 11 is provided with .a ring 16 mounted onthe under side thereof, so that the cap may be readily removed from theseat when-it is so desired. The cap 11 is provided with a series ofperforations, indicated at 17, so that water may pass freelytherethrough, coming into contact with the soap within the receptacleand thereby forming suds for the washing 0 oration. The air chambers 52are provided with openings 18 formed. in the conical walls of, the body1, so that during the upward stroke of-the pounder any vacuum formed bythe conical body 1 1s broken as soon-as" the openings 18 are higher hanthe surface of the water.

It is uuderstoodthat each form of clothes pounder herein shown anddescribed is used in the usual manner by raising and lowering the samein water -:in whichthe c: thes have been placed, the up stroke of theclothespounder creating a suction within the pounder and the downstrokepf the pounder forcing air and water through the clothes.

In the form shown in Figs. 3, a and 5, the body 1 of the pounder, theair chambers 2, and the handle socket 4 are all of the same form as thatshown and described in Figs. 1 and 2. The soap cup in the form shown inFigs. 3, 4 and 5, consists of a dished plate 20 provided with a seriesof perforations 21 and split inwardly from the outer edge thereof to thecenter, as indicated at The cup 20 is preferably formed of metal havingsome elasticity so that the same may be pressed into a circular groove23 formed in the wall of the body 1 adjacent the upper end thereof, andwhen so placed the edge of the cup engages the groove or seat so thatthe same is held securely therein until such time as it is desired toremove the same from the seat E23.- .111 l'ioth the form shown in Figs;1 and 2 and the form shown in Figs. 3, 4t and the soap receptacleconsists of a portion of the conical walls of the body 1 and a cap,which cap is adapted to engage the seat or groove formed in the walls ofthebody 1.

in the forn'i shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the conical body 1 is providedwith a handle so ket 25 formed as an extension from the apex of the body1, which socket 25 is formed with a circular groove or seat 26 adaptedto be engaged bythe outwardly liar-ed upp r edge of the neck 27 a soapreceptacle 2%, the neck 27 of the recepinch. being slotted, as lndicatedat 29, to

of the soap receptacle 28 so that the cap may be readily removed fromthe soap receptacle.

in the form shown in Figs 6, 7 and 8, above described, the air chambers2 are the ame form of construction as those heretotore described inconnection with F 1 t,-

inclusive.

l n all of the forms shown, the soap reccpi arl is placed within theconical body 1 adof soap mixed with the water may be controlled by thelength of stroke of the pounder, as with a long stroke more water entersthe soap receptacle and produces more suds than when the pounder is notpressed as deeply into the water. This construction also permits a freeunobstructed chamber within the conical body, thereby giving a greaterlifting capacity to the conical shaped member, and also produces aconstruction ideal for shipping quantities of pounders, at which time,if desired, the caps of the soap receptacles may be removed and theconical body members 1 closely nested to form a compact package, or thecaps of the soap receptacles may be left on the respective soapreceptacles, in which case the pounders may be nested, but not as com- 7pact-1y as when the caps have been removed. In either case, however, thesaving in bulk is great over that of the forms of clothespounders wherethe handle socket extends downwardly through the central membep and isprovided with a soap receptacle adjacent to the open end of the conicalbody member 1.

In the ordinary washing operation, after the clothes have been washed bymeans of operating a pounder therein, the clothes are ordinarily, as iswell known, removed from the suds and dirty water and placed in rinsingwater. With the ordinary form of washer in which the soap receptacle isplaced adjacent to the lower or open end of the pounder, it is necessaryto remove the soap frbm the soap receptacle before using the pounderupon the clothes in the rinsing water.. With a pounder constructed asabove described in my application, it is not necessary to remove thesoap from the soap receptacle when it is desired to use the pounder forassisting in the rinslng operation, but the stroke of the pounder issimply regulated, that is shortened, so that the water does not reachthe soap receptacle and mix with the soap therein, thereby saving amaterial amount of time and labor in the washing operation. With theordinary form of'clothes pounder with the soap receptacle adjacent thelower end thereof, after the soap has been removed from the soapreceptacle, so that the pounder may be used in the rinsing operation, itis then necessary to open the soap receptacle and replace the soap inthe same before further Washing may be done.

lVhat I claim is 1. A clothes-pounder comprising anapproximately conicalbody, a handle socket on the apex end of said body,and a soap receptacleWithin said body at the apex thereof.

2. A clothes-pounder comprising an approximately conical body, a handlesocket at ,iacent to the apex thereof so that the amount 1 the apex endof said body, said body having a circular seat formed therein, and a capadapted to engage in said seat to form a soap receptacle.

3. A clothes-pounder comprising an approximately coni'cal body, a handlesocket at the apex end of said body, said body having a circular seatformed therein adjacent the apex end thereof, a cap having a pluralityof perforations therein, and a circular flange on said cap adapted: toengage in the circular seat in said conical body;

4. A clothes-pounder comprising an approximately conical body, a handlesocket secured to the apex of said body, said socket extending upwardlyand outwardly therefrom, a plurality of semi-conical sheet memberssecured to the inner side of said conical body to form a series of"vertically disposed air chambers, said conical body having a series ofperforations each opening into one of said air chambers and a circularseat formed therein above said air chambers, and a perforated capadapted to engage sa'id seatto form a soap receptacle within saidconicalbody adjacent the apex thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California,

this 25th day of May, 1912.

- EDWIN R. oRooKEnT In presence of;

FRANK L. A. GRAHAM, P. H. SlfEIiTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 11,0." g

